Protecting our children - At what price?
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
-1st line of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America
“Religious beliefs and practices must be respected, but only so far as they abide by state and federal laws.”
-The Washington Post, June 6, 2008
If you can reconcile these two statements, you’re cleverer than I. The Washington Post made this statement at the end of an editorial (here) defending the seizure of 468 children by Texas law enforcement officials in April. The state purportedly acted on a single tip from a 16 year old girl, a tip that ultimately proved to be bogus. Thankfully, it didn’t turn out like Waco this time, but 468 children? The Post is certainly correct in stating that had they not acted, the officials would have faced harsh criticism. But overreaction also deserves harsh criticism.
Only in a fascist state could mass kidnapping be equated with “protecting the children”. I am no fan of religious cults, but judging from the muted response by the main stream media, including editorials like this one, who are we? When I went to law school, the Constitution trumped state and federal laws. According to The Washington Post, that is no longer the case.
Powered by FireStats
Great post. I had the exact same conversation the other day. The constitution is becoming more and more subservient to new state and federal laws every day. These are sad times.
thesilentmajority — June 6, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
Ugh. This is such a sad story and an apt comparison to Waco. I actually just saw the film Waco: The Rules of Engagement. Great film; check it out if you haven’t already.
Nicky Cheese — June 7, 2008 @ 2:46 am